


Musically Inspired

by turkey_jerky_dirky_strider



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Cute, Multi, lots of little oneshots based off songs, oneshots, songfics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-23
Updated: 2014-02-21
Packaged: 2018-01-05 20:04:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1098065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turkey_jerky_dirky_strider/pseuds/turkey_jerky_dirky_strider
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a lot of oneshots based off songs! They may contain triggers, which will be listed at the beginning of each chapter (if there are any!) Also, I LOVE taking requests for songs!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Glamorous

**Author's Note:**

> First one! Happy reading! (I hope you like it!)

They always acted like they lived like everyone else in the world, and like four hundred dollar dinners, or thousand dollar outfits, or private jet meant nothing to them. They acted like they were above and beyond everyone else, but for some reason, John couldn’t bring himself to despise them. Not that he could anyway, after all, he was marrying the youngest. The Strider-Lalonde family became a legend when one Dirk Strider (The second oldest) created a robot with the ability to do almost anything you could throw at it (Of course rumors began circulated almost immediately that the thing was created mostly for more sexual activities.) He attended a few high class parties, surrounded by movie stars and song writers scrambling about on their iphones, browsing his wikipedia page, trying to figure out what he was doing there. His brother, Dave Strider, the youngest and John’s future husband, exceeded his brothers level of fame by releasing a ridiculously shitty version of a webcomic he’d been working on since age twelve, which had somehow gained a larger fanbase than Batman and X-Men combined. Dave began attending those same high class parties as his brother, and the same movie stars and song writers became less aquainted with the Strider brothers wikipedia pages. They were soon joined by Roxy Lalonde, their oldest sister, her rise to fame the result of being casted as the lead in some blockbuster movie no one bothered to remember the name of. Rose, the second youngest of the family, was the last to be shown into the world of fame, being led in by her therapeutic skills. She was often the designated “helper” for the high class parties, and was known to sit down those especially drunk souls and attempt to help them through times of trouble. (Some firmly believed Kim Kardashian was her highest paying customer, though of course, the entire family denied this.)

 

         John’s time was currently occupied on a hi-speed jet plane, flying to Los Angeles from Hong Kong, having been in the Chinese city for the past two weeks. Roxy and Dirk had been in some fashion show, and Dave had demanded the entire family attend, because the prime minister of Malaysia was to be in attendance, and he couldn’t resist having at least some Zoolander irony. John and Rose had rolled their eyes, but agreed nonetheless. And now, John was stuck on a 15 hour plane ride with four celebrities who had just found a bottle of champagne. This, of course, had led to drinks being passed around, and now Dave was sprawled out over John’s lap, Dirk had his feet up in Rose’s lap, and Roxy was standing on one of the couches, and all four were recounting tales of fame and fortune. John looked at them, to the gold and diamond rings twinkling on Rose and Roxy’s fingers, the ones he knew had all been gifts, and meant about as much to the girls as the feelings behind them. He looked at the man standing in corner, the one who followed them everywhere, to parties and premieres, on shopping trips, and worldly trips, yet never spoke. He remembered the last shopping trip they’d been on, to some giant mall in Hong Kong, where Roxy beelined for Chanel, Dirk headed for Armani, Rose examined some elegant black Versace cocktail dress, and John himself followed Dave into Dolce and Gabbana. Needless to say, he was shocked when everyone boarded the plane with a bag marked from the store they’d been in. John thought back to when they were walking through the airport, being followed by fans and paparazzi alike. He’d run into a small shop to grab a pack of gum, and upon glancing at the magazines and tv in the corner, saw a large collage of familiar blondes looking at him, and he wondered how his future in-laws handled seeing themselves everywhere. He knew they took it well, and he knew they weren’t how everyone saw them. Rose messed things up sometimes, Roxy could go for weeks without a drink, Dave really did show emotion, and Dirk wasn’t that robot he’d built. The best part of all this was the constant trips to Taco Bell, where the servers would pass extra napkins through the windows with the burritos and quesadillas and tacos, begging for autographs (John’s as well.) He also knew that though they secretly loved the fame, sometimes they just couldn’t take it. He realized the plane had gone silent, and he shook away his memories, just to find his companions had halted their conversation, and were looking at their laps guiltily.

         “Where would we be… Right now, if all this had never happened…” Dirk whispered quietly.

         “Back in Houston, struggling to get by on Bro’s porn? In foster homes, because the porn hadn’t been enough? Homeless?” He continued.

         “Jesus, they’re probably kids all over living how we used to, and here we are, shopping at designer clothing stores? I know we always told Bro we would never loose our heads, but I think we are… We gotta get away for a while. Rox’s movie premiere is in two days, and in five days, we’re going back to Houston and Bro for at least two weeks. Dave and John’s wedding is in a month and a half, but we’ll be okay by then.” He finished. The girls nodded, and Dave cracked out a small smile,

         “I haven’t seen Bro in two years.” He said, pulling up a picture of the whole Strider-Lalonde family on his phone. John smiled, having been the one who’d taken the picture.

         “We’ve made it this far, and I guess it’s because of Mom and Bro, huh? We had people we needed to support-“ Dave began, before being cut off by Dirk.

         “Plus we had to keep enough in the bank for Rox’s shoe fetish… And Rose’s half a million dollar necklace… and Dave and John’s “romantic” getaway to Rome!” He cackled as Roxy shot him a dirty look.

         “Let Davey finish!” She hissed.

         “Thanks, Rox,” Dave said, “We had people we needed to support, so I think we always just thought that if we didn’t have the money, we might as well just go home. We’ve got our problems, and we’ve got agents and managers and producers telling us weird shit we don’t want to know, and I think we all remember those days then Bro and Mom told us how hard it would be for us to accomplish what we wanted, but here we are, and we’ve done what we wanted and more, and never given them so much as a damn thank you? And yeah, it’s been a long road, and we wanted to quit sometimes, but we didn’t! Because where would be then? Right back where we started…” He trailed off, looking at his siblings, then down at his fiancé. He smiled gently again,

         “And we won’t change from the glamorous, but we don’t have to live like we’re royalty. Let’s live like people.”

 

#  ****

_G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S_

_We’re flying first class, up in the sky,_

_Popping champagne, living the life_

_In the fast lane, I won’t change,_

_By the glamorous, oh, the flossy, flossy._


	2. Shut Up And Drive

****

The jacket zipped all the way up his throat, restricting his breathing slightly. He took as deep a breath as he could, and let it out with a sigh. He glanced over the crowd, most of whom were cheering his name obnoxiously. He sighed again, scanning for his little brother, whom he spotted walking towards him, his cherry red helmet tucked casually under one arm.

            “Dirk!” He called, watching his brother scramble towards him. He squatted, looking his twelve year old brother in the eye.

            “Remember, if I crash-“ He began. Dirk, the brother, rolled his eyes,

            “Dave, you’ve been racing since I was six and you’ve never crashed.” He said, handing him the bright helmet, “So shut up and get in your goddamn car.” Dirk finished, turning on his heel and heading towards Rose, his older sister, and the woman who spoke to Dave over the radio during the races. In the back of his mind, Dave vaguely wondered if her position had a name, or if she was just “The radio chick” like he’d always though of her. He sighed again, and pulled on the helmet and he began walking towards the car. Someone fell in step beside him, and he glanced over.

            “Put on the helmet before I could give you a good luck kiss? That’s harsh, Strider.”

            “I have a car to drive, Egbert. That car is a fine-toned, super sonic, speed machine, and if you are anywhere near it when the engine is revved, it would probably blow you across the ocean.” Dave said, getting into the car.

“Egbert” was constantly trying to remember what that car was, and how fast it could go, but always got mixed up as to whether it was a Porsche GT2, an Audi R8, or a Buggatti Veyron 16.4. He sighed, and slapped the top of Dave’s helmet through the window,

“Thanks a ton, sweetheart.” He said. Dave sighed for the third time in about two minutes, and yanked off the helmet, sticking his upper body through the window, and pressing a hard kiss to “Egbert’s” (Whose name is really John, by the way) lips. The two separated, and John glanced over to find their image on that huge TV thing. He wondered if that had a name, and laughed, realizing it probably did. He pressed his forehead to Dave’s, and whispered,

“Don’t crash. Watch your gangsta lean, it’s getting worse, too!” He laughed, kissing Dave one last time before going to stand by Rose and Dirk. He watched Dave pull his helmet back on, fasten his seatbelt and roll up the windows, before turning his attention to the man on the sidelines loading a pistol. John watched the man raise the gun, and heard cars rev their engines which sounded like they were on the verge of exploding, and finally, he heard the gun go off. Immediately the cars sped into action, and Dirk yelled three quick “GO!’s” towards the red hurtling towards first place. John knew for a fact that riding shotgun in that particular cherry red vehicle was smoother, albeit much faster and much less safe, than a limousine. He watched the car speed around a curve, extending its lead greatly as the others attempted to catch up.

John heard a voice crackle through the speakers on Rose’s head,

 _“So, Rosie, how’s my lead lookin’?”_ The voice asked sarcastically.

“You know perfectly well how it looks, you’ve got a rearview mirror. Shut up and drive, you’re going to crash.” She said harshly. The voice made one short grunt resembling laughter, before going silent. Rose sighed, and looked down at Dirk,

“He’ll be fine.” She said. The young boy looked up at her, raising an eyebrow, and giving her a do-I-look-stupid-to-you? Face.

“Duh. He always is.” He replied. John laughed slightly, hoping the boy was right.

 

== > Examine Dirk

 

            Dirk, the smaller-than-average younger brother of a car racing hottie-err, hero, was, for some unknown reason, recalling his reaction to his brother’s first ever race. They’d gone to a car show, and seen a 1957 Cadillac, resting and beautiful right beside some hot as a hot cross bun Lamborghini. He’d pulled on Dave’s sleeve, asking if he could touch one. Dave laughed, and said no, but he’d be able to touch the new racer he’d just bought. Dirk gave his brother a toothy smile, and said that sounded awesome. He thought of all the days in the burning heat at the racetrack, begging Dave to take him for a ride, and how every day the answer was the same, “When you’re a little taller, Dirk, I don’t want you to get hurt.” Dirk finally stopped asking, and Dave finally started letting him ride with him.

            He returned his attention to the racetrack, watching his brother’s lead grow and grow and grow, and watching a blue car, the one driven by that scary woman with the spiderwebs on her nails, advance on his brother. He heard Rose tell Dave just that, only instead of calling her scary, Rose called her Serket. Dirk briefly wondered what a Serket was, before deciding it probably didn’t really matter. He watched his brother begin his second lap, and he began bouncing on the balls of his feet,

“Don’t slow down, don’t slow down.” He whispered. Much to his delight, his brother slammed the gas pedal, and shot forwards. Dirk promptly decided he had some sort of telepathic connection with his brother, and his brother understood his thoughts.

 

== > Examine Rose

           

            Rose, who was busy giving harsh instructions to an overly risky blonde man with a narcissistic personality and ridiculously high self-confidence, had this strange yet welcome feeling that said man was going to win. Then again, of course, she couldn’t even remember the last time he’d lost a race. She watched him complete his second lap, in the lead with time to spare, and hmphed to herself. All this winning was wreaking havoc on his ego, she decided. Maybe it would do him good to loose once and a while. She realized he wouldn’t loose until the world was taken over by alien fish ladies with ridiculously long hair, and that, quite obviously, was impossible. She shook her head, wondering where in her crooked imagine that had come from, and turned her attention back to the race. Dave had just completed his second lap, and boy, were the odds in his favor. Rose huffed, and promptly decided she needed to lay off the teen fiction late at night.

 

== > Back to John

 

            This boys boyfriend a fuckin’ badass. John smiled to himself, watching Dave turn the final curve, advancing towards that checkered line, until finally… just a little more… three… two… one! Boom. John squealed, and took off running as Dave made his final victory lap, and as soon as he got out of the car, threw himself onto Dave, wrapping his arms around his neck and his legs around his waist. Dave stumbled back, supporting himself against the side of the car,

            “Well, someone’s excited to see me!” He laughed as John peppered his face with kisses.

            “This gives you an eleven win streak! Jesus, you’re amazing!” John crooned, nestling his face into the crook of Dave’s neck as Dirk ad Rose trek towards them, Dirk clutching a large gold trophy and sporting a ridiculous grin. Dave released John, lacing their fingers together briefly before taking the trophy from Dirk, handing it to Rose, and picking his brother up under the arms and spinning him in a circle. Dirk squealed, and wrapped his arms tightly around his brother’s neck,

            “D-DAVE! Put me down!” He wailed as Dave set him back on his feet. Rose smiled, handing the trophy off to John (Who, by the way, did NOT do those weird sexy scantily clad wife on the hood of the husbands car with the trophy photos, despite Dave’s constant please.) and patted Dave on the back.

            “How _do_ you do it?” She asked sarcastically. Dave offered her a crooked grin.

            “I shut up and drive.”

 

_Get you where you want to go, if you know what I mean_

_Got a ride that's smoother than a limousine,_

_Can you handle the curves?_

_Can you run all the lights?_

_If you can, baby boy, then we can go all night._

_Cause it's zero to sixty in three-point-five_

_Baby you got the keys,_

_Now shut up and drive._

 


	3. I Know This

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to Grace (much perf yes i love you so amaze wow) for requesting! Also, I'm aware this may be slightly confusing, and yes, I know it's really weirdly written, and PLEASE just trust me on this. It'll be explained at the end.

Focus in on that table… Yeah, that one there, in the back corner, the one with that weird mix of people, one of those weird groups, full of people you couldn’t imagine hanging out. But I guess alcohol even kills off those standards, huh? What was that? You want to hear what they’re talking about? Well, don’t ask me! Wait, you want me to tell you? Like, as a story? Well, alright then. Wait, let me name the people. Well, I guess I could just listen in for a minute… Okay, I got their names. Are you ready? Good.

The lights were dim, the music was booming, the people were drunk, and for once, there wasn’t a Strider up on that stage, pouring his life and soul into terrible mashups (Music for soul, the two called it, like it was some gospel music people ought to listen to during church.) Instead, they sat at a table, situated far back in the club, where they couldn’t be seen. They sat with the oddest array of people, but for some reason, everyone seemed to be getting along, despite little bickers here and there. Looking closer, it’s easier to label these people, though I guess they seem like to type to hate labels. There’s a punk, and a nerd, and a fashionista, and an asshole, there’s a geek (He’s not by The Nerd though. Maybe their fandoms don’t match or something?) and a gay (Hey, shut up, I can just tell these things. Okay, fine, he’s complimenting the waiters ass, that’s how I know) and one of those “I’m the designated driver who steals all your secrets while I drive your drunk ass home” kind of people, but the smartass for short. The Asshole is complaining to The Gay. Again. This time, he’s complaining about how no one understands his sick rhymes. And how no one understands jack shit, especially not him. He added that jack shit only happens on weekends though, but I have no clue what that means. The Punk and The Nerd are opposites. Pain and Joy. Crazy and Sane. Lie and Truth. Question and Answer. It’s obvious that that’s why they’re perfect. They click, in a way no else understands but The Punk and The Nerd. And sometimes, not even they understand.

It’s like… Balance, but not. There are wars, and treaties, and the whole ordeal of this fucked up friend group (Someone’s missing, by the way. The Adventurer. He’s watching Indiana Jones movies at home, wishing The Gay was with him.) is carefully managed, and those treaties are delicately written, every time, in the same two handwritings. The obvious curls of The Fashionista’s, and the gentle, more clean-cut font of The Smartass. They work together, keeping everyone under control. They work together, keeping each other under control.

The Geek is trying to get The Asshole’s attention now. It isn’t working. It’s like, these two, man, they’re different. You can’t even consider them Geek and Asshole. They don’t fall in any category, but they’re in every category. They’re the best of the best. There’s Mathletes, then there’s The Geek. There’s Kanye West, then there’s The Asshole. There’s Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, then there’s The Geek and The Asshole. The only people they don’t transcend in that category are The Gay and The Adventurer, and God, they know it. That’s a boundary they don’t push.

Oh man. The Gay and The Adventurer, huh? Well, that’s different. Lots of things are better alone than together. Like… Brownies and whipped cream. Who the hell puts those together? It’s like Journey and Bon Jovi. Like fucking your brother or fucking your boyfriend. That’s one fucked up orgy right there. But the second The Gay and the Adventurer hooked up… time stopped, and no one bothered asking, cause everyone just knew. And sheeee-it, it made every a helluva lot less tense.

The Gay and The Asshole, though. They’re there for each other, like one of those weird fish that chill with sharks, it’s like one of those weird mutualisms. And even though they somehow wound up in this slammin’ L.A. club, they’re still both Houston boys at heart (The Gay didn’t name his dick The Burning Texas Giant for nothing, you know.) And sometimes on weirdly cold Texas nights when the sand swirled and the moon shined, they’d listen to each other heartbeats, because they’d already memorized the tempo of their own.

And I know for a fact that sometimes on lonely days, The Punk, The Fashionista and The Geek get together and talk about deep-ass shit, like Rom Coms, or skirt patterns, or Nic Cage, or just sometime, Love, or the Apocalypse. And sometimes they talk about deep-ass people, Like Moses, or Buddha or Jesus and no one else understands how they hold these conversations so long, but everyone lets them do it, because they’re all made of the same shit as you and me, and if that’s what they wanna do, then we’ll let them, bcause we have no reason to stop them.

And one day, The Geek knows The Asshole will let him all the way in, instead of making him peer through the ridiculously tiny crack between the door and the doorjam, and even though sometimes the door closes all together, The Geek just stands there and waits like a geek, because he knows the day is gonna come when that door opens wide and he gets a good, long look at where The Asshole hides, because that door is his façade, that door is The Asshole, and the _real_ Asshole just chills inside, and maybe when that door opens, we’ll start calling him The Musician, or The Artist, or maybe just The Hider, but we can’t say yet.

But all the love situated in this group isn’t the same. The Fashionista and The Smartass love like a cool breeze in August, or an electric blanket and a fireplace in December. And The Gay and The Adventurer, they have this love like a swim in a cool pond followed by the most raging splash war, or going to eat at McDonalds but somehow you wind up with gourmet crème brulee instead of chicken nuggets with a medium fries. But then, The Punk and The Nerd have the most raging bouts of hatesex, but they fuck from the heart, and it’s loving, so it’s all okay.

And they’re all psychos, every last one of them, but they know it, and embrace, and wouldn’t want it any other way, and shit, its perfect. And it’s spiraling out of control, but spiraling in this perfect void of truth and happiness and hope and all that crazy shit these psychos live with. And they love it. This, I know. 

 

_And I know this._

_And I know this._

_This I know._

_This I know._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, in case you didn't manage to pick it up;  
> Karkat is The Punk  
> Sollux is The Nerd  
> Kanaya is The Fashionista  
> Rose is The Smartass  
> Dave is The Asshole  
> John is The Geek  
> Dirk is The Gay  
> and  
> Jake is The Adventurer
> 
> YES CONTINUE REQUESTING PLEASE DO THE THING I LOVE REQUESTS.


	4. In The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY THIS IS SO LATE!! I always forget how many people in my family have birthdays right around Christmas! This was requested by Forest-Girl, and I really, really hope you like it! Also, since I feel bad that it's so late, a second part with the same theme from Dave's side may be released later!

Sometimes, you even miss the worst things in life. Like waking up at six every morning for school, or the panic of forgetting your homework, or when your internet browser is too outdated for a game, or Betty Crocker frosting. Sometimes, you’d give anything for a rush of panic over something so ridiculous, it’s like squishing a bug. Imagine feeling like that for years on end. Somewhere, a boy felt like that.

            It was always the little things. It was that tally on Dave’s hip, the one counting his death total. It was those moments when Jade couldn’t even swallow around that lump of fear in her throat. It was when not even Rose could mask her terror. It was the sight of red tears pouring down grey cheeks. It was those things that made John think of those days since past. It made him remember that time his father had accidentally bought Western Family brand Devils Food cake, and considered throwing out the batter until John convinced him he could give the cake to his old sixth grade teacher as a retirement gift. John’s father kept the batter, and frosted the cake in pink, even though it was a male teacher. The teacher returned the plate the next day, empty and freshly washed. John smiled, remembering his father’s reaction to the thank you card taped to the bottom of the plate; he’d almost started crying.

            John remembered the time he’d screamed at his dad that he really, really HATED the baked goods, and locked himself in his room. He had heard his father leave, and fell into bed, sobbing, and feeling disgraceful for what he’d said. He shouldn’t have told his father, who loved him and cared for him, such cruel things about something he genuinely enjoyed. He hadn’t realized he’d fallen asleep until the gentle knocks on his door. He opened the door, and found a cookie platter with I’M SORRY spelled out of orange and apple slices, with a heart made from two bananas. John ate the fruit, and returned the platter with IT’S OKAY spelled from Rice Krispy Treats.

            He thought about when he first met Dave and Rose on some shitty gaming program, and didn’t stop talking to them for weeks, until finally his dad requested a way to contact their guardians. The three set up a skype call to introduce the guardians to one another, which ended… oddly. Rose’s mother had been the first to pick up, and she was not too different from any stereotype, besides the giant bottle of Smirnoff on the table beside her. Dave’s brother answered next, a creepy puppet with a hat sitting in front of the camera, before a pale hand shoved it away as a tall blonde sat down in front of the camera, scolding “Lil Man” for hurting family members like Cal and asking if he missed anything. John’s dad shook his head, and motioned John out of the room. He exited an hour and half later and told John that Rose and Dave seemed like very nice kids, and he now had their guardians on speed dial in case anything got out of hand. John facepalmed his father, but they found out later when Dave fell down the stairs and couldn’t find his phone that this was actually a good idea. Needless to say, Bro Strider wasn’t too happy to get the thirteen stitches call.

            John swallowed thickly, remembering his own experience quite like that. He’d sent off a shoe and a hat, not knowing who requested them, briefly noting the familiarity in the items. He had laughed softly, thinking about his dad, and sent off the clothes without another thought. Of course, later, when his dream self found his father walking with Rose’s Mom, he’d noticed the spanking new shoe and hat. He realized who had requested the clothing, and his heart stooped. It restarted a second later when the couple before him vanished. He still blamed Vriska for that. When he found out much later that his dad was dead, he lost it, and sobbed harder than he had in years. He thought of everything that he’d been through with his father, and decided right then and there he’d win this game. For his dad.

 

 

            Then, he met _her._ He still remembered how they somehow managed to be in the same place at the same time. He remembered Dave reaching out and touching the end of triangle shades, a broken “Bro!” tearing from his throat. He remembered Jade mockingly wink at a tall boy with shining green eyes and thick black hair. He remembered Rose tracing a soft blonde curl, and pulling a girl into a hug. He stood, looking into blue eyes lighter than his own. He remembered thinking just what the girl had said.

           

            “You aren’t Dad…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never forget that I love requests!


	5. Let Her Go

“Dave… This isn’t going to work. I’m sorry.”

 

Dave curled up on his bed, playing the weeks before those words over and over again, unaware he had this much water in his body to spare for tears. He was twenty three, dammit, and here he was on his bed bawling like a fourteen year old fangirl when Merlin ended. He heard someone enter the apartment, but didn’t care enough to check. He felt the bedroom door open, and felt his bed sag under the weight of two extra bodies. One pulled him up to sit between their legs, his back pressing against their chest, while the other sat between his legs, pulling his head into the crook of their neck.

            “Dave… Are you alright?” Dave recognized Rose’s voice, and judged from the firm muscles against his back Dirk had accompanied her.

            “Do I fucking look alright?” He sobbed into Rose’s shoulder.

            “Hey, lil man, you only miss the light when it’s burning low.” Dirk murmured, rubbing circles on his brother’s lower back.

            “The hell does that mean?” Dave sniffled.

            “You only miss the sun when it starts to snow.” Rose added.

            “I fucking live in Texas, I’ve never even seen the goddamn snow. Did you two rhyme on purpose?” Dave growled. Rose sighed deeply, and Dirk leaned forward, enveloping them both in a tight hug.

            “You only know you love him when you let him go.”

 

            John couldn’t forget how Dave looked after he dumped him. He couldn’t forget the flash of emotion in his eyes. Anger, hurt, sadness, before settling on betrayal. He got up and left, and made sure to pack up and move out when John was at work. All he’d left was a P.O. Box number to send Dave’s mail to, and a photograph from their two year anniversary. He lost it, and called Jade, tears pouring down his face,

            “I-I’m sitting in my kitchen, looking at a picture of me and my ex boyfriend-almost-fiancé from our anniversary, and I can’t get his eyes out of my mind, and I feel like shit and-“

            “John, you only know you’ve been happy when you’re feeling down. Do you still love him?”

            “I-I…”

            “You only hate the road when you’re missing home. I think Dave was, or still is your home.”

Her words settled on John’s shoulders, and he felt a fresh wave of tears.

            “I’ll call you back, Jade, I’m gonna call him.” John hung up the phone, and scrolled until he crossed the contact he was looking for. He clicked, and heard a high pitched, definitely female voice through the speaker. He hung up, realizing Dave had changed his number. He remembered something else Jade had told him. It sounded oddly like something Rose would say.

            “You only know you love him when you let him go.” He almost wished he hadn’t let him go.

 

            Dave stared blankly at the table through the bottom of his empty beer glass, wondering when something would actually work out. He thought about falling in love with John, and then how that love had been ripped right from like, like pulling the string from a sweater and unraveling the whole damn thing. He closed his eyes, sighing, as John’s face flashed through his mind. He slammed the glass on the table, and Dirk glanced worriedly over at him as Rose slipped an arm across his shoulders. It seemed like everything he loved died in his heart. John, every single damn pet he’d ever had, even friends. He remembered in eight grade when he’d come out to his best friend, who had told him he was disgusting, and didn’t talk to him again. Two years later, Dave caught him playing tonsil hockey with some computer tech geek behind the school during gym. He thought back to what Rose had told him earlier. John had been his light, his sun… His everything.

 

            John laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. He glanced at the clock. 1:27 AM. He had work in mere hours and here he was, yearning for the emptiness in his heart and soul to be filled. It had taken him years to realize he was completely in love with Dave, and it had taken him seconds to abandon that love. He dreamed about him every night. He dreamed that Dave was running towards him, but when he got close, he stopped. And John tried to move towards him, only to be rooted on the spot. He woke up with tears on his cheekbones. He had known that he was probably in too deep with Dave. Everything moved so fast when they were together. They had exchanged “I love you’s” by six months, and had sex after two months, but for some reason, it all felt genuine. It felt like it would last forever.

 

            Dave paced the living room of Dirk’s apartment, breathing heavily and trying to ignore Rose and Dirk’s stares from the couch.

            “Dave…” Rose ventured. Dave cut her off with a waved of his hand.

            “I mean, we hadn’t fought in weeks. And when we did fight, it was because neither of us wanted to clean the bathtub, and we ended up having sex! The only thing I can think of is that he saw the ring, and he got scared or something!? Rose, you’ve been talking to Jade, right? What does Jade say?” He asked, crouching in front of Rose, his glasses pushed up into his hair, and his red eyes wide.

            “S-she just says that John is getting more distant. He doesn’t talk to her as much, and it takes him an awfully long time to reply.” Rose replied hesitantly. Dave took a deep breath, and stood, grabbing his wallet and running to the door,

            “I’ll be home in a few days!” He yelled, slamming the door. Dirk groaned, and handed Rose a ten dollar bill.

            “I told he’d go back for him.”

 

John pulled back the blinds, watching rare Washington snow flutter to the ground. He laughed harshly. The weather was reflecting his mood, it seemed. He sighed, and heard his computer beep. He glanced back, unsurprised to see another line of green text on the screen. He sighed again, and sprawled out over the couch. He closed his eyes, and swallowed his tears. He heard a loud banging on the door, and wrapped a blanket around himself, waddling over to the foyer. He opened the door, and dropped the blanket. Dave stood in the doorway, tiny white snowflakes littering his hair, face and shoulders. He shivered, and John realized he had no coat. His lips were a ghastly shade of purple, and his shades were off.

“John, I-“ He began. John stepped out of the house, slammed down, and shoved his lips against Dave’s. He felt Dave pick him up, and spin him around, snow melting on the heated skin of his exposed back, where his shirt had ridden up. He laughed, and wrapped his arms around Dave’s neck.

“John, I love you.” Dave finished, setting John on his own feet, and John was only in socks.

    “I love you too, Dave.”


	6. Do You Love Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's been so long, but I'm back and with A LOT of new chapters! Stay tuned darlings! Also, this chapter contains a small inkling of SOFTLY IMPLIED Stridercest! It most likely will not be a main point in any ficlet, but if I plan on uploading a Stridercest fic, I will be sure to mention it in the chapter preceding it!!

The year was 1963, and that summer, everything changed. John Egbert was 16, and lived with his father and 19 year old sister, Jane. His cousins, Jade and Jake were visiting from out of country, and as usual, Jane and Jake were sneaking out, the same way they had every night when Jake visited since they were John and Jade's age. Jade, being the particularly curious one of the pair of youngsters, had decided she absolutely MUST know where they went, and had somehow dragged John into her scheme as well. The two sat on John's bed, as Jane and Jake always snuck out through the window in the boys first floor room. The door gently opened,  
"Jake?" They heard Jane whisper. Her clothing choice was peculiar, a cut off top and high rise pants. Jake had forgone his usual sweater for a casual white tee and jeans. Jade leapt up, and ran across the room, flipping on the light,  
"Where ya off to?" She said, leaning against the wall. John waved,  
"You two sneak out every night, and we want to know why, and where you go." He said. Jake looked shocked, and he turned to Jane,  
"How old were we when we started going?" He asked. She shook her head, eyes wide,  
"Sixteen. Do you think they'll... Fit in?" She whispered.  
"Jade will, she likes everyone. John might get... How he gets." Jake replied. John huffed,  
"I'm fine!" He cried. Jane shooshed him, and Jake told them to go change. They obeyed, and appeared a few minutes later, Jade wearing a shirt similar to Jane's, and a knee length skirt. John mimicked Jake's clothing choice almost to the dot, wearing a tight blue tee and simple pants. Jake opened the window, and ushered the girls through first, following after John. He walked backwards, ahead of the group, blabbing on and on to Jane about how he believed he'd "improved his chances." John glanced at Jade for an explanation, but she shrugged, and continued walking. Finally, the group heard faint music playing, and Jake's pace quickened. He led them towards what looked like a small barn, pushing open the door. The first thing John noticed was the large record player in the corner, and the small group of dancers, a few of whom he recognized. He was especially astonished to see that a great many of the couples dancing were same sex couples. He looked to his right, looking at Sollux Captor and Karkat Vantas, two boys he went to school with with their chests pressed together, moving in time to the music. He saw Rose Lalonde and Kanaya Maryam, his best friends sister and the girl he thought was her best friend. He swallowed, and walked after his family members, stopping short when he saw his best friend Dave Strider grinding on his brother, Dirk. Rose saw him, and separated from Kanaya, coming to lean on John's shoulder,  
"Finally bothered to figure out where Jane and Jake come, hmm?" She said. John swallowed again, and nodded.  
"Is that Dave? And Dirk? And why are they dancing like that?" He said, turning his head to talk in her ear over the loud music. Rose shrugged, "They always have. Dirk practically created this place, along with your cousins and my sister. People like us started to come more and more, and now we're actually considered a true dance house." She explained, watching Dave and Dirk dance, Dirk's hands on Dave's hips, and his face buried in Dave's neck. John watched Sollux and Karkat as Karkat clung to Sollux's hips with his knees, shimmying back until his hair brushed the floor. John's eyes went wide,  
"I didn't know Karkat was that flexible..." He said. Rose laughed, and shoved John,  
"Well, you're here! Go dance with someone, have fun!" She said. John winced,  
"Rose... I'm not a homosexual." He said. She raised an eyebrow.  
"Hmm... Well, neither are Feferi or Eridan and they still come. Dance with Jade. I'm sure you'll find someone to dance with." She said, turning back to Kanaya just as Dave caught sight of John. He leaned onto to Dirk's shoulder, whispering something. His brother let him go, and John's eyes widened when Jake immediately sidled up to Dirk, and blushed and blubbered when Dirk dipped him. Dave made his way past dancing couples over to John.  
"Sup Egbert. Never thought I'd see you in a place like this. Actually, I'm surprised you haven't run off screaming. Didn't know your sister and cousin work up a sweat every night dancing with my brother and Roxy, huh?" He said, motioning behind him to were Jake seemed to have taken Dave's place on Dirk's hips and Jane danced with Roxy. John shook his head,  
"I never suspected a thing. And I won't say I wasn't surprised, but I don't think less of them. Of any of you, really." He said. Dave smirked, and stuck out a hand,  
"Wanna dance?" He offered. John took a step back,  
"Um... No. I'm not, um, not..." He stuttered, cheeks brightening.  
"Gay?" Dave asked, raising an eyebrow. John's cheeks got pinker, and he nodded. Dave shrugged, and grabbed his hand,  
"Don't care. I wanna dance, and your stupid cousin just stole my partner." He said, leading John to the dance floor. They walked past Sollux and Karkat, doing the back shimmy thing again, and Sollux nodded to Dave, and smirked at John. Karkat sputtered, pulling himself upright and dropping off Sollux,  
"John?! What're you doing here?" He said. John shrugged, and continued following Dave.  
"Uh, Dave... I can't dance. Like, um, what do I do?" He asked and Dave turned around, pressing them together.  
"Okay, wrap your arms around my neck and put one leg in between mine." Dave instructed. John complied, feeling Dave wrap his fingers around his hips.  
"Dave, this feels really sexual..." He said, blushing deeply. Dave shrugged again,  
"It is. Now just kinda move back band forth, and lean back like Karkat does, but don't go so deep. I'll move with you." He said. John obeyed, and felt Dave lead him backwards and forwards. He leaned back after a bit, his breath catching on his throat when Dave dragged one hand up his spine, pulling him back up.  
"Good." Dave breathed in John's ear. John nodded, and tried to ignore Dirk and Jake playing tonsil hockey over Dave's shoulder. He lost himself in the music, and allowed Dave to lead him, sometimes watching the other dancers. He liked the way Feferi's skirt blew out when she spun, and apparently so did Eridan, judging by the how often he spun her. Jade had been having fun, dancing with boys and girls alike. John felt a tap on his shoulder, and looked back to see Jane standing behind him, smiling.  
"John, we've got to go home now..." She said. John nodded, and tapped her neck,  
"Black lipstick. Might wanna wash that off." He said, disentangling himself from Dave, who groaned and pulled him close again,  
"One more song." He said, moving his hand to the base of John's neck. Jane sighed,  
"One more." She said. John felt Dave's lips moving against his neck,  
"What're you doing?" He whispered. Dave pulled away, and looked at John.  
"Are you gonna come back?" He asked. John stopped, and thought for a moment.  
"Yeah, at least until Jake and Jade leave. I don't know about when they leave, though..." Dave cut John off, pressing their lips together. John's eyes widened, closing a second later as he tangled his fingers in Dave's hair. Someone whistled, and they two separated,  
"I'm coming back, now that I can dance."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I  
> LOVE  
> REQUESTS

**Author's Note:**

> I LOVE TAKING RQUESTS FOR SONGS SO SEND ME REQUESTS.


End file.
